The 5 second rule is now 30 MINUTES!

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Next time you drop a piece of food on the ground, you can forget about the five second rule. Researchers at Aston University in Birmingham conducted a study and found that many foods can be picked off the floor and consumed after 30 minutes with little increased risk of germs, because the vast majority of germs or bugs actually come from human skin instead of the floor. But not all foods fall into this category: cooked pasta, donuts or toast with butter should still be picked up within 5 seconds.